A July report from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, however, appears to run counter to the president's claims about his predecessor. It states that 113 of the 122 confirmed former detainees who reengaged came under the Bush administration. Nine came under Obama, with 11 suspected of reengaging.

On Monday, U.S. airstrikes against an al-Qaida-linked group in Yemen killed a former detainee who was released from the prison in 2009 despite earlier recommendations that he remain in custody because he was considered a "high threat" to America and its allies.

At its peak, the Guantanamo prison held nearly 680 detainees. It was down to 242 when President Barack Obama took office in 2009 and he got that number down to just a few dozen. Obama said the prison was a waste of money and a recruiting tool for extremists.